The present invention relates to filling containers, in particular bottles and the like, with liquid substances.
In the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industry there are known filling machines which automatically fill bottles with measured quantities of liquid substances.
The above mentioned machines are usually equipped with a rotating head, which is carried by a stationary structure. The head rotates on a vertical axis. A liquid delivering chamber, fed by a suitable duct, is formed inside the head.
The rotating head features, arranged along the edge thereof, syringe-like distributors, which deliver the liquid substance to corresponding filling nozzles, associated with the rotating head by suitable three-way valves controlling the liquid substance passage.
The distributors are aimed, in two different moments, at batching liquid and at feeding the batched liquid to the nozzles.
The machines for filling bottles must be periodically sterilized by washing the areas, which are in contact with liquid substances, in particular after a working cycle is finished and when the liquid substance for filling the bottles is to be changed.
The machine is sterilized by feeding a suitable sterilizing liquid or steam to the distributors and to the nozzles, via the above areas being in contact with liquid substances, i.e. the distributing chamber of the rotating head.
The problem related to the sterilization operation concerns the collection and disposal of the sterilizing liquid.
Currently, in order to sterilize, it is necessary to stop the machine and to join thereto a basin, which conveys the sterilizing liquid going out of the areas being sterilized.
The open-topped collection basin usually includes two semi-circular portions which are fastened removably to the machine.
When the sterilization is completed, the collection basin is emptied and removed from the machine.
Besides obvious hygienic problems and environmental pollution risk, the above solution is very expensive, mainly because of operator labor.
Actually, the assembling and disassembling of the basin collecting the sterilizing liquid requires a lot of time, during which the machine does not work.
The object of the present invention is to solve the above problem by proposing a machine for filling bottles and the like, which allows to perform sterilizing operations in a simple and rapid way.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a machine the sterilization of which can be performed in an extremely efficient way, in absolutely hygienic conditions and without causing environment pollution.
A further object of the present invention is to propose a machine, in which sterilization operations require a reduced use of operators labor.
A still further object of the present invention is to propose a machine the construction of which is very simple and which is functional and versatile.
The above mentioned objects are obtained in accordance with the contents of the claims, by a machine for filling containers with a liquid substance, the machine including:
a rotating head carried rotatingly by a stationary structure;
a liquid substance delivering chamber made inside said a rotating head;
at least one distributor arranged along the edge of said rotating head for delivering the liquid substance;
at least one filling nozzle associated with said rotating head and connected with said distributor;
the machine being characterized in that it includes:
container means associated to said stationary structure for collecting a sterilizing liquid introduced into said distributor and flowing in the corresponding filling nozzle;
covering means applicable to said container means for closing tightly said container means;
conveying means for conveying said sterilizing liquid substance, said conveying means being connected to said covering means and associated to said nozzle and to said distributor for connecting tightly said nozzle and said distributor with said container means.